"Right,"
Axel declared to the empty Sub-Station B7, striking a pose he imagined a real chancellor might adopt before addressing a particularly dull budget committee.
"Operation: Don't Die Horribly While Looking For People Who Also Haven't Died Horribly is a go.
Phase one: Gear up. Phase two: Try not to become Blighted chow. Phase three: Success?"
The Sovereign System, with its impeccable timing for stating the obvious, chimed in.
[NEW PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Expand Safe Zone.]
[Sub-Objective: Locate and secure a sustainable water source.]
[Sub-Objective: Locate and secure additional food supplies (minimum 7 days for 1 adult male). ]
[Sub-Objective: Locate potential uncontaminated medical supplies.]
[Optional Secondary Objective: Locate other survivors.]
Axel snorted. "Optional? System, honey, if I'm the last man on campus, this whole 'Chancellor' gig is going to have a very short, very depressing term.
Let's bump 'survivors' up the priority list, shall we? Preferably some who know how to use something more intimidating than office supplies."
He checked his 'Domain Awareness.' The ghostly map of Sub-Station B7 pulsed gently in his vision. Secure.
For now. The security cameras showed the Blighted still moronically headbutting the shutters. Bless their decaying, single-minded little hearts.
"Okay, what are we working with?" He rummaged through the station. The fire extinguisher was dented but still hefty. His pockets yielded a multitool (thank you, over-prepared Dad), his phone (useless, no signal, battery dying), a half-eaten chocolate bar (now more precious than gold), and his student ID.
The grand arsenal of the Acting Chancellor.
The emergency rations were pitiful. Three protein bars that tasted like regret and two bottles of water. The System's '7 days' felt like a cruel joke.
"Sustainable water source…" Axel mused, tapping his chin. The university had extensive underground piping. There were maintenance tunnels. The campus map, if he could find an intact one or if the System had it…
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Accessing Atheria University Digital Archives (Level 1 Clearance - Chancellor Protocol)... Partial success. Limited schematics available for Admin Block East Wing and adjacent maintenance tunnels.]
[Displaying Local Area Map with potential water main access points?]
A more detailed map shimmered into existence over his Domain Awareness overlay, highlighting a route through the basement towards what looked like a utility access corridor.
One access point was marked relatively close. "Now you're talking!" Axel grinned. "Points for you, System.
Maybe I'll even approve your budget next fiscal year."
His gaze fell on a locked supply cabinet in the corner of the sub-station. Standard issue, probably held spare forms, maybe some ancient coffee filters. But what if…
[SYSTEM QUERY: Attempt to bypass manual lock on Class 2 University Supply Cabinet? Probability of success with current tools (Multitool - Tier 0): 37%. Risk of alerting nearby Blighted entities due to noise: Moderate.]
"Thirty-seven percent?" Axel weighed his options. The fire extinguisher was good for a thwack, but not exactly versatile.
"Alright, let's gamble. It's not like my approval ratings can get any lower."
He knelt by the cabinet, his multitool's flimsy pick and tension wrench feeling woefully inadequate. Minutes stretched, filled with tiny, scraping sounds that echoed unnaturally in the quiet station. Every creak from the corridor outside made him jump.
The Blighted might be dumb, but they weren't deaf.
Just a little further… almost got that pin… His internal monologue was a mix of focused concentration and sarcastic commentary on his sudden career change into a cat burglar.
Chancellor Axel, Master of Unlocking. Add that to the resume.With a final, satisfying click, the lock popped.
Axel held his breath, half-expecting an alarm or a swarm of Blighted security guards (the undead kind, not the formerly grumpy kind). Nothing. He cautiously pulled the door open.
Jackpot.
Not gold, not weapons, but something almost as good: a heavy-duty campus security Maglite (the kind that could double as a club), two full rolls of duct tape (the universal problem solver), a surprisingly well-stocked larger first-aid kit, and, tucked in the back, a forgotten can of industrial-strength coffee grounds.
"Oh, you beautiful, beautiful beans," Axel whispered reverently at the coffee.
The caffeine gods had smiled upon him. He felt like he'd won the lottery. The Maglite, too, felt wonderfully solid in his hand. Definitely an upgrade from the fire extinguisher for primary bludgeoning duties.
[ITEM ACQUIRED: Heavy Duty Flashlight (Tier 1 Improvised Weapon/Tool)]
[ITEM ACQUIRED: Duct Tape (Utility Material)]
[ITEM ACQUIRED: Advanced First Aid Kit (Medical Supply)]
[ITEM ACQUIRED: Coffee Grounds (Luxury Consumable - Morale Boost)]
[XP Gained: 5 (Skill: Lockpicking – Novice)]
"Luxury consumable, huh?" Axel chuckled, packing the essentials into his pockets and a repurposed plastic bag he found.
"System, you have a dry sense of humor. I approve."
Armed with his new 'Tier 1 Improvised Weapon' and the grim determination fueled by potential future caffeine, he approached the sub-station's main shutter controls.
The cameras showed the immediate corridor was clear for a few meters in either direction, though he could hear distant, wet shuffling.
"Okay, Axel," he murmured, hand on the 'Open' button. "Time to see if the real world is as forgiving as that supply cabinet lock."
The shutters groaned upwards with painful slowness, the sound echoing like an invitation to every Blighted within earshot. He slipped out, Maglite held ready, every sense on high alert.
The basement corridor was dimly lit by struggling emergency lights, casting long, dancing shadows that played tricks on the eyes. The air was cold, damp, and smelled faintly of mildew and something else… something metallic and rank. Blood.
He followed the System's glowing path towards the utility access. Each corner was a potential ambush, every distant sound a threat. His heart hammered, a stark contrast to the forced calm of his sarcastic thoughts. This was real. This wasn't a game, despite the XP pop-ups.
He found the marked access door – a heavy steel plate bolted to the wall. It looked like it hadn't been opened in years.
[SYSTEM WARNING: Potential for Unstable Environment beyond access point. Atmospheric integrity unknown. Blighted presence: Undetermined but probable.]
"No pain, no H2O, right?" Axel muttered, fitting the multitool's screwdriver bit to the rusted bolts. This was going to take time. And make noise.
He'd just managed to loosen the first bolt when he heard it – not a shuffle, but a skittering sound. Fast.
Too fast for the clumsy Blighted he'd encountered so far. It was coming from further down the corridor, from the direction he'd just come.
Axel froze, slowly turning, Maglite beam cutting through the gloom. For a moment, he saw nothing.
Then, two pinpricks of red reflected the light from low near the floor, followed by another pair, and another. They were small, fast, and definitely not human.
Before he could even register a "System warning", a creature looking like a nightmarish fusion of a rat and a starving dog, its fur matted with gore and its teeth far too long, darted out of the shadows. It was followed by two more.
"They weren't Blighted humans."
They were… something else. Something new. Something Awakened and hungry.
The first one snarled, a high-pitched yipping sound, and launched itself at his legs.